The Bandit

by B. B. Reid

“Not important.” I didn’t trust Victor with the information. “We let her go.”

  “Why?”

  “I never considered her knowing about the book. She had nothing on her when we released her.”

  “So she has a partner.”

  “I’m sure of it.”

  “She needs to be disposed of. What are you planning to do about it?”

  “We watch her, for now, to see where she goes and who she knows.”

  “She may have already sold it. What about this partner?”

  “They have to meet again to either sell or collect. I don’t give a shit, but I want them both.”

  “It’s not a fail-safe plan.” His lazy regard for my abilities pissed me off, but I kept silent. “Your father wouldn’t like you being this stupid.”

  My fingers gripped the arm of the chair to keep from doing the same to his neck. I watched as he arrogantly picked another grape from the stem and popped it in his mouth. I didn’t like him talking about my father after he decided to fuck and marry his wife.

  I would say that our rocky association was a love lost since he’d been my father’s oldest friend, but I never felt close to him even when I was just a kid. Theo had been the one who was like a second father to me.

  It was all so fucked up.

  “My father would want me to be smart. This isn’t some random person off the street or even a rival. She was family.”

  “And now she’s just the daughter of your father’s murderer. Don’t forget that.”

  “I haven’t,” I pushed through clenched teeth.

  “We’ll see.”

  Fucking A…

  I’m going to kill this prick.

  “Once she makes a move, I will take her. Not. Before.” I leaned forward and locked gazes. “And I won’t hesitate.”

  “Good.” He chomped on another grape. I considered filling his airway with the entire bowl and watching him choke to death.

  “I came here because I need information, some kind of leverage over her. I was hoping you might have something. I can see that I’m wasting my time.” I stood to leave.

  “Wait.” I ignored him and moved for the exit. “Son.”

  I froze and counted to five so I wouldn’t remind him that while he may have married my mom, I would never be his son. I’d seen what having a father like Victor would eventually do. Eliana Castro was a gold digging bitch with scales like her father. Not only that. Once upon a time, Victor entertained the idea of me marrying his daughter. My father refused the idea of an arranged marriage, which put an invisible strain on their relationship.

  “I was out of line. Your father would be proud of you.”

  I wasn’t surprised by his quickness to apologize. Victor had always gone out of his way to stay in my good graces, even if it meant ignoring his own daughter.

  Victor looked up expectantly. He waited for me to accept his apology.

  Not going to happen.

  “I didn’t come here to talk about my father.” I’d never be comfortable with a man who would sleep with his friend’s wife before his body was even cold in the ground.

  “I’m sorry for that, too.” An uncomfortable silence followed another apology I wouldn’t accept. “Look, Ross’s kid needs to be dealt with. If she was after anything, it would have to be the book.”

  It didn’t add up.

  None of it did.

  “How would she know the combination to the safe?”

  “Your father trusted Theo—more than anyone.” He grunted. My gaze narrowed on his face. Was the resentment I just witnessed real or imagined? The hard glint in his eyes was gone as quickly as it appeared.

  “And?”

  “And it’s possible Theo relayed this information to his daughter.”

  “For what reason?” I grilled even though I’d already considered the possibility. “He’s locked up, and Mian is no thief.”

  “Are you sure about that? She got into your father’s estate, didn’t she? He’d obviously taught her enough. He could have groomed her just as your father intended to groom you.”

  “Impossible. The last thing Theo wanted was for his kid to follow in his footsteps. He did everything he could to keep her interest at bay.”

  “Impressionists are good at making you see only what you wish, too.”

  The wheels controlling reason turned furiously. My mind raced to find another explanation. “It doesn’t make sense.”

  “It doesn’t always have to make sense to be the truth. Your father was powerful, but he was also feared. That book—your family’s legacy— was the key to Chicago. He owned it, possessed it, and controlled it. Whoever controls it, takes the city… and any city of their choosing.”

  “She’s not some aspiring crime lord.”

  “But what she needs is money, I imagine. She’s a young, single mother in a dangerous city. With her father’s guidance, she could sell it to the right buyer. I didn’t hear anything after that.

  She’s a young, single mother…

  Single mother…

  Mother…

  Mian had a kid?

  Rage, pain, and jealousy—each fighting for dominance.

  She had a fucking kid.

  Even when jealousy still questioned how it could even be possible, my conscience had already accepted the fault.

  I. Let. Her. Go.

  When her father murdered mine, I made myself forget her. I beat my heart black and blue until I was convinced she had never been.

  I’d known she’d always choose him over me, so I made her pay for her father’s betrayal by forgetting.

  “How old is the kid?” I choked. It was clear he had been keeping tabs.

  “Not even a year old. The kid’s date of birth escapes me.” He fluttered his fingers as if it was of little importance. Perhaps to a man who’d never fantasized about the day he’d own her mind, body, and soul, it was a blip.

  But to a man who possessed those thoughts every single day for six fucking years…

  I was nothing other than tormented.

  Was she married?

  Were they a happy fucking family?

  No.

  She was too young.

  Damn it. She was mine.

  “Use the boy.”

  I blinked to clear the fog telling me to murder. “Come again?”

  “Her son. Use him.”

  I felt like I was being strangled. If it showed, he didn’t let on. He continued to talk and eat those damn grapes.

  “You saying I should hurt her kid?” I’d much rather hurt the prick who fathered him.

  “You don’t have to.”

  If you can’t.

  It was the real meaning he’d left unsaid.

  Son of a bitch.

  “Maybe I just need to make her think I will.”

  Chapter Eight

  Pretty girls shouldn’t starve.

  MIAN

  “So he just let you go?”

  Anna showed up to see if I needed her to babysit about ten minutes after I rolled out of bed. If I hadn’t been so afraid of who might have been standing on the other side of the door, I would have cried at her thoughtfulness. Last night hadn’t gone as planned.

  Scratch that.

  Last night, I’d made the second biggest mistake of my life.

  “He let me go,” I confirmed. When Anna noticed how spooked I was when I opened the door, the confession of my first and last job poured out of me.

  She didn’t sound as if she believed I had gained my freedom so easily. She wasn’t the only one who found it strange. I was just glad I didn’t have to add paranoid to my list of faults. It would have gone right under moronic.

  “What do you think he meant by seeing you soon ? I mean it’s so spooky. Do you think he’ll come after you?”

  “I don’t know.�
�� He’s stayed away all this time. A part of me was hoping last night wouldn’t change that. The other part—the moronic one—was curious. It’s been three years since I’ve seen him. What kind of man was he now?

  His errand boy insisted on seeing me home safely. So, not only did Angel have reason to come after me, he now had access to me. During the ride back to the city, I just knew he was taking me somewhere private to dump my body after silencing me forever. But then he asked for my address and actually drove me home.

  “But what if he does ?” Anna whispered as if Angel could hear her. “Maybe you should call the cops. He basically threatened you, right?”

  “He’s not going to kill me. He’s probably just blowing smoke.” No matter what our fathers did to each other, we were the innocent bystanders. Surely, he knew that?

  Maybe he did before you broke into his house and stole from him.

  My worry shifted to the expensive watch burning a hole in my hoodie. There was no way Z missed the watch when he searched me. He had to know I lifted it yet he let me get away with it.

  “But didn’t you say your father killed his? What if he wants revenge?”

  “He would have come looking for it long before I broke into his father’s home.” After his father was dead and mine was imprisoned for it, he’d forgotten all about the stupid kid with a crush.

  “Just be careful. You’re the only friend I’ve got,” she pouted.

  “I promise. I don’t plan on ever seeing Angel Knight again, and there’s nothing he can do to change that.”

  She laughed, making her eyes bright again. “Well, good. Just as long as we’re clear on that.”

  I stared at Caylen sleeping on a blanket a few feet away but felt her watching me. “What?”

  “How did you get all the way out there anyway?”

  “Borrowed a car.”

  “Whose?”

  “Joey’s.”

  She groaned probably guessing what that meant. “Mian,” she whined.

  “I’m sorry, but I promised him.”

  “I’m still not interested.”

  I smiled sheepishly. “He just asked for me to talk you into catching a movie with him.”

  “Mian!”

  “Honestly, I don’t see what the big deal is. Joey’s sweet.”

  “Yeah, you’d think so because he doesn’t drool all over you.”

  “Please? Would you just consider it? One date. That’s it. You’ll never know for sure until you give it a try.”

  “Oh, I’m pretty sure. Joey doesn’t do it for me. He doesn’t give me butterflies. There’s no electricity.”

  “Ok. I need to confiscate your library card. You really need to cut down on the corny romance novels.”

  “You should give it a try. You never know until you give it a try,” she mimicked. She made a face, and I laughed.

  “Tell you what… you go on one date with him, and I’ll read one of your embarrassing obsessions.” She seemed to mull it over but didn’t seem convinced. “Ok, I’ll suffer through two books, and I’ll even discuss them with you.”

  “Deal.”

  * * *

  My nails bit into my palm, and I welcomed the pain. I read Jerry’s sign a second time. He was the neighborhood pawnbroker, sometimes loan shark, and it appeared he’d chosen to indulge in the holiday festivities.

  I walked away with the watch tucked securely in the pocket of my baggiest jeans. I knew better than to flash or flaunt a watch this expensive-looking around here. I wiped away the tear that escaped and kept my head low.

  I had about a day’s worth of food and supplies. Jerry wouldn’t be back for two days.

  I could already hear my son’s cries when his tummy yearned for food that wouldn’t come.

  I had to do something.

  Jerry’s shop was just around the corner, so I was back at my building in no time. I started up the steps when I heard the husky voice call out. “Hey, cutie pie.”

  Looking up, I spotted Brandi, Anna’s mom, stepping out of a car that looked more expensive than the building we lived in. She was a statuesque blonde bombshell who left every man’s tongue wagging who lived in Mercy Homes. Shaking my head, I took in her skimpy attire. The high heels she strutted in looked like stilts, and I wondered how she balanced in those things.

  “Hey, Brandi.”

  “Why the down face?” She frowned and lifted my chin. “Have you been crying?” I nodded because what was the point in lying? “Come with me and tell Brandi all about it.”

  I ignored the screaming pleas for common sense and followed her into the building up death-defying stairs to her apartment door. I glanced guiltily at my own door knowing Anna was inside watching Caylen and waiting for my return with a pocket full of cash.

  Guilt washed over me.

  Brandi was a single mom who knew what it was like to be a teenage single mother. Talking to her about my woes made more sense. Anna was my dearest friend, but she wouldn’t understand. Not like Brandi.

  She flipped open the dingy white door to the fridge and bent over. “Want a beer?” she called over her shoulder.

  “It’s ten in the morning.” Plucking a bottle from the fridge, she slammed it closed and grabbed a bottle opener from the top. I watched as she turned to lean against the door and popped the top from the bottle. Defiantly, she stared me down and took an unladylike swig.

  “Get your panties out of your snatch.”

  “Maybe I should just go.” Her crudeness made my stomach turn. I started for the door.

  “I know how you can solve your money troubles.” My hand paused above the doorknob. “A girl as pretty as you shouldn’t have to starve. You certainly have the body to make sure that never happens.”

  I dropped my hand and turned to face her. My eyes narrowed, and she smirked in return. “What are you talking about?”

  “How many dead-end jobs will you have to lose or pointless interviews will you go to for you to realize that doing the right thing doesn’t pay?”

  “Anna told you?”

  “These walls are thin, girl. There are so secrets in a dump like this.”

  “So, what would you suggest?” I wouldn’t take any advice Brandi dished seriously. I was merely curious. According to Anna, she brought home enough cash to move them out of this place, but her mother preferred spending her earnings on expensive shoes and trips out of town.

  “Using what you got to get what you need.”

  “My wits?”

  She snorted. “Your wits are going to starve you, girl… Unless you add a little something on the side.” Her eyes raked my body making me shift uncomfortably.

  “I’m not having sex for money.” Despite what I said to my father, I knew I could never do that. Selling my body to feed Caylen would mean nothing if I couldn’t look him in the eye every day.

  Her trilling laugh broke the tension. “I wasn’t suggesting you fuck for the money.” I cringed. Brandi could be harsh and crude. “Leave that to the big girls. If it wasn’t for that cute little boy, I wouldn’t believe you even knew what sex was.” She laughed again.

  I gritted my teeth to keep from cursing her out. “So, what were you suggesting?” I managed to keep my tone even to mask my irritation.

  “You dance for it.”

  “Dance?” Understanding dawned. “You mean strip?”

  She shrugged and set the bottle down. As she strutted forward in her stems, I watched her warily. “Yeah, honey. I mean strip for it. You take your clothes off, I guarantee they will pay.”

  I shook my head and took a step back. “I’m not doing that.”

  “You don’t have a choice.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “How are you going to put food on the table? Even if you get another dead-end job, the money is not as quick, or even as good, as taking your clothes of
f.”

  She closed the distance between us and reached around. When I felt my hair shift, I realized she’d grabbed my ponytail. With a tug, the band slipped from the strands and tumbled free. “You’re so pretty.”

  “It doesn’t change the fact that I won’t do it.”

  “It’s not so bad. I bet you’d be really good at it. You’re young. Your body is still tight. The men will cream their pants and give up their entire paycheck just to get a peek at you.”

  Another denial was poised to spew from my lips, but nothing came out. Why was I hesitating?

  “I—I don’t even know how.”

  Her fingers tugged at the button my shirt until it slipped free. “I could teach you.”

  Taking a deep breath and holding it, I considered her offer.

  Would it really be so bad?

  “Mian?”

  I jerked free. The spell Brandi cast was broken by the interruption. She didn’t appear bothered when our heads turned toward the front door.

  Anna.

  “Oh. Hey.”

  “What are you doing here?” She held Caylen, his back to her chest, as she stood in the door I hadn’t heard open. Caylen’s blue eyes found me, and I felt a stab in my gut when he smiled wide. The sound of his happy giggles tore me apart.

  Could I really do this to him?

  Could I really afford not to?

  “I was just—”

  “We were having girl talk,” Brandi interrupted in a dismissive tone. When Anna ignored her and started to question me, Brandi cut her off. “Here.” She reached inside her bra and pulled out a bill that was damp with her sweat.

  Ew.

  “I need cigarettes.”

  “I’m watching Caylen,” Anna replied.

  “His mother is home now.” She thrust the bill at her and glared until Anna reluctantly accepted it.

  “It’s okay. I got him.” I was more than ready for this to be over and was sort of grateful to Brandi for sparing me from Anna’s questions. I took Caylen from her arms, flashed a fake smile, and escaped.

  Chapter Nine

  Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

  ANGEL

  I returned to Chicago. I wasn’t ready to deal with my mother’s emotions, so I slipped out of Florida without seeing her. Since I wasn’t ready to forgive her, I had to stay away. My father would haunt me if I abandoned her completely, so instead of doing my duties to her myself, I had Lucas and Z check on her regularly. From their reports, she was doing well. I told myself it was all that mattered.